Rapid consolidation of a nanostructured Mo-reinforced ZrO2 composite

MoO3 and Zr powders at a molar ratio of 1:1.5 were milled using a high-energy ball mill. The mixture powders produced Mo and ZrO2 powders through a solid replacement reaction (MoO3 + 1.5Zr → Mo + 1.5 ZrO2). The synthesized powders were consolidated via pulsed current activated sintering (PCAS) within 2 min. The mechanical properties (hardness and fracture toughness) and microstructure were then evaluated. Both the hardness and fracture toughness of the Mo-1.5 ZrO2 composite were higher than those of monolithic ZrO2.